Your Influence is Important to the Health of Your Child - YOU Can Change Your Child’s Future

IN YOUR DAILY DOSE: today you’ll discover that while it appears you don’t have much influence on your child, they are actually listening. Your competition are their friends, media and the news. How you compete makes a difference.

MAKING CHANGES: Use specific strategies to influence your children. You are the most important influence in the life of your child’s health and future.

FACT OR FICTION: Your eyes are the windows to your soul, or so the poets tell us. Here are several facts about these incredible organs that allow us to see our world.

In The News

Research from the University of Guelph demonstrated that parents have a significant influence on whether their children will become obese. However, it isn’t the mother-son relationship that was the strongest, but rather the father-son relationship that had the largest impact on weight.

Children who grew up in households with quality stable parental relationships appeared to have a higher incidence of healthy eating habits, sleep patterns and activities. They were also less likely to be obese.

Past research has often focused on the influence of the mother’s influence but this study zeroed in on the influential role the father plays in the long term health of his children.

Normalized weight management and practices that achieve greater control over your weight will help you to reduce the impact obesity can have on your long-term health. Health conditions linked to obesity include gall bladder stones, cancers, cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, peripheral vascular disease and several immune mediated illnesses.

Making Changes

Your children depend on you for guidance and support throughout life. As parents we are responsible for their health and wellbeing until they are old enough to care for themselves. Making changes in your own life will show your children what is and isn’t healthy.

Children are more likely to mimic you than they are to follow your directions. If you tell them not to drink, but you drink several beers each night they will follow what they see you doing and not what you tell them to do.

The same is true for nutritional choices, activity levels and exercise. If dad likes basketball his son is more likely to play basketball than to play baseball. This isn’t 100 percent each time, just more likely.

Daily Affirmation

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. How does conversation with others help me to find solutions to difficult challenges?

2. How do my negative experiences help me in future situations that are difficult?

3. In what way can I be an inspiration to others?

Fact or Fiction?

Your Eyes

They are the windows to your soul, and one way you process your environment. Here are some fun facts about your beautiful baby blues.